Moving to California from Hawaii
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Hawaii to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Hawaii to California, you would find that California is 12.8% cheaper than Hawaii. A $75,000 salary in Hawaii would need to be roughly $65,400 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Los Angeles averages 75°F vs 84°F in Honolulu, making it significantly cooler. Honolulu and Los Angeles are about 2,550 mi apart.
Thinking of moving to California? Get a shortlist of towns in California that match your priorities: size, cost, taxes, safety, disaster risk, hospitals and transport. Find my towns →Is California cheaper than Hawaii?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 19.2% less
Groceries
pay 39.0% less
Transportation
pay 0.9% less
Housing
pay 4.2% less
Childcare
pay 14.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.3% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in California?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $65,400
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Hawaii to California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Hawaii performs better than California across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Hawaii generally does better on what about housing?, though California leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Hawaii generally does better on infrastructure, though California leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Hawaii generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Hawaii performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in California vs Hawaii
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Honolulu | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/67°F (27°/19°C) | 69°/49°F (21°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/74°F (31°/24°C) | 83°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/71°F (29°/22°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Honolulu | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C) | 68°/48°F (20.1°/8.8°C) |
| Feb | 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C) | 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C) |
| Mar | 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C) | 70°/51°F (21.2°/10.6°C) |
| Apr | 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C) | 73°/53°F (22.6°/11.9°C) |
| May | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C) | 74°/57°F (23.6°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C) |
| Jul | 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C) | 83°/64°F (28.4°/17.6°C) |
| Aug | 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C) | 84°/64°F (29.1°/17.8°C) |
| Sep | 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C) | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C) | 78°/59°F (25.8°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C) | 73°/52°F (22.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C) | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Hawaii?
Yes — California is on average about 13% cheaper than Hawaii. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,350 in California on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is California safe?
Hawaii performs better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in California compared to Hawaii?
Hawaii generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in California compared to Hawaii?
The average high temperature in Los Angeles is 75°F, compared to 84°F in Honolulu. Los Angeles receives around 14.9 in of rainfall per year, while Honolulu gets 17.1 in.
